Phoebe and Warren Sutherland
The story of Phoebe Blacksmith and Warren Sutherland is one of two cultures coming together at NECI. Where they came from, how they got to Vermont and where they went together is all part of the mix.
Phoebe grew up on a reservation in Canada. Food and cooking weren't something special to be revered. It was just part of the culture. Traditional foods such as wild game, small game, and fish all made it to the table. Her family had a garden, which was rare on the reserve, so meals included their freshly grown vegetables.
Not really knowing what to focus on, Phoebe went to community college to study hotel and restaurant management. Her thought was, "this might be fun to try." She quickly learned that she loved being at the front of the house, but she also wanted to make sure she was well-rounded as she loved to cook. Therefore, when she finished the program she decided to pursue a culinary degree.
Finding NECI was serendipitous. If it wasn't for a friend wearing a NECI sweatshirt, she would never have heard about the school. She headed over the border to visit and shortly afterwards arrived on campus.
Montpelier, Vermont was a complete culture shock from her life in Ottawa. NECI was such a small school, in such a small town. Dorm life took a while to get used to after having lived on her own in an apartment in the big city.
Phoebe's first internship was at Hamersly's Bistro in Boston. She was glad to head back to the city, but Boston was hard. Not only was it expensive to live there, but Phoebe had no real experience working in a production kitchen (other than her six months at NECI). By the time the internship as over she had taken great strides and was ready to tackle what ever came next.
It was during a Monday night at the Main Street Grill when life for Phoebe took a turn. She was in class (PM Grill) and a crew of first year students was serving. Phoebe noticed a good looking man serving the guests and made sure that when the night was over to say 'hi.' Three months later she was engaged to that man, Warren Sutherland, a first year student from Jamaica!
Warren's story starts at Michigan State University where he was studying engineering. Warren was always cooking, and like Phoebe, grew up in a family and culture of cooking. However, he also had the sense that he was just a bit better at it than his friends and family.
A major turning point for Warren happened on a day when he was waiting for his engineering professor to show up for class. While his classmates worked on assignments or discussed the next big engineering problem, Warren sat at this desk writing out a recipe. It was a "moment of clarity" for him. He started to ask himself, "why am I doing this?" As he had already invested time, money and energy into his engineering degree, Warren chose to finish what he had already begun. But a career in cooking was now a new goal.
Just as Phoebe's finding of NECI was serendipitous, so too for Warren. Warren's brother lived in Vermont and during a visit they ate at the Main Street Grill. Learning that the Grill was part of a culinary school, Warren picked up an application and took it back to Michigan State. There it was, prominently pinned to his bulletin board, staring at him for weeks and months on end until, in a fit of frustration, Warren filled it out and sent it in. The call from NECI informing him that he had been accepted came at the worst possible moment - while he was studying for his finals. Warren shut his books and started planning his move to Vermont!
Though he had been accepted to NECI, financially it wasn't an immediate option. With his engineering degree in hand, Warren found a local job and worked hard to save every penny so he could enroll at school. Within a year, he was in class at NECI.
This is where their stories join together. Phoebe was finishing up her second year and Warren was starting his first. When Phoebe's second internship ended, she decided to work at NECI while waiting for Warren. Then the two of them headed to Phoenix, Arizona - Warren for an internship, Phoebe to work. Though they only stayed for 8 months, Arizona was a beautiful place to be and they loved it.
During a visit back home in Ottawa, Phoebe and Warren were offered a position at a restaurant on the reserve in Northern Quebec. They checked it out and though they decided not to take the job, they did decide to stay in Canada. It wasn't long before they opened Sweetgrass Bistro, a fine-dining restaurant showcasing native cultures and cuisines. Warren emphasizes that their concept is not aboriginal cooking, but instead native ingredients with a contemporary spin. They are able to bring a number of different cultures together under one roof: southwestern (from their Arizona days), east coast and Canadian are all prepared by Warren.
Sweetgrass Bistro sources from a local game meat supplier, preparing dishes with such meats as rabbit, partridge, and elk. The farm to table concept with local suppliers, while still new in the United States is actually how native cultures live. The menu at Sweetgrass Bistro is constantly changing with the seasons, with Warren at the helm of menu development.
Warren notes that he approaches the restaurant with an engineer's mentality. Research is his mantra. Since everything has already been done, the best option is to take the best of something and put your own fingerprint on it. Instead of continuing to work for other chefs, Warren and Phoebe knew that they wanted to have the creative freedom that comes with owning their own restaurant. Even though they've been open for seven years, Phoebe confesses that it still feels new to them.
Phoebe advises students to get as much experience under their belt both in the style of restaurant as well as in cooking different types of food. By experiencing it all you will be able to cull the best for the future. Warren professes that without humility it is hard to succeed. NECI graduates good cooks, however, becoming a chef requires hard work, perseverance and the willingness to continue to learn. More importantly, Warren wants students "to thine own self be true." Make sure you stay focused on your own goals, because you can get there from here!